A fledgling clothing company in Maine is in the spotlight for sticking to its die-hard ‘Made in the USA’ commitment in the age of globalization.
American Roots, founded by husband-and-wife team Ben and Whitney Waxman in 2013, is the subject of a new book out this week from author Rachel Slade, titled ‘Making It in America’.
Subtitled ‘The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the USA (And How It Got That Way)’ the book documents the vexing challenges faced by American companies that try to keep their production in the US, instead of finding cheaper labor overseas.
Not only does American Roots source all of its materials domestically, its factory in the Maine town of Westbrook is fully unionized at the insistence of its owners.
Ben, a former union organizer for the AFL-CIO, and his wife insisted from the start that their workers earn a living wage with vacation time and other benefits, Slade wrote in a recent New York Times guest essay.
Husband-and-wife team Ben and Whitney Waxman founded American Roots clothing company in 2013, in a bid to revive Maine’s defunct textile industry
The company make casual and outdoor wear including hoodies, fleeces and tees
‘Our company’s economic philosophy is ‘Profit over greed,” Ben told Slade. ‘We have to make a profit, but it will never be at the expense of our workers, our values or our products.’
After working for the AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest federation of unions, for more than a decade, Ben moved with Whitney back to Maine, where he grew up.
Maine was once a center of textile production, but the industry saw a steady decline in the second half of the 20th century, and was all but killed off by free trade deals including NAFTA in the 1990s.
In fact, Ben’s own mother Dory Waxman had once owned a small woolen goods company, until mills in Maine began closing and she was unable to buy materials locally.
Against all odds, Ben and Whitney decided to do their part to revive Maine’s textile industry and founded American Roots together.
‘The idea was simple– create American-made products, and sell to the growing number of people who value ethics, quality, and American sourcing and manufacturing,’ they recalled on their company website.
Finding and training workers was a major challenge, and with Dory’s help the Waxmans organized a training program for stitchers, now known as Common Threads of Maine.
Against all odds, Ben and Whitney decided to do their part to revive Maine’s textile industry and founded American Roots together
Many of the company’s workers are recent immigrants from countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq and Angola
The Waxmans say that sourcing American-made components — including fabrics, zippers, drawstrings and buttons — is a constant challenge
The training program helped produce workers with the right skills and training for American Roots and other Maine companies.
Many of the company’s workers are recent immigrants from countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq and Angola, after they fled dangerous circumstances at home to build a new life in America.
The author Slade followed the Waxmans during the pandemic, when the company temporarily switched to manufacturing masks and face shields to stay afloat.
The company tripled its annual revenue to $3.6 million in 2020, and booked sales of $2 million in 2021 and $3 million in 2022, according to Slade.
The Waxmans say that sourcing American-made components — including fabrics, zippers, drawstrings and buttons — is a constant challenge, but they remain committed to a 100 percent American product.
American Roots products do reflect the higher costs of ethical labor practices and domestic sourcing, with zip-up hoodies from the company retailing for $108 to $120.
However, the company has seen strong demand for its products from consumers who believe in its mission and are rooting for an American manufacturing comeback.
‘American Roots continues to build its foundation being rooted in our community, our family, our workforce, our products and our country,’ the company’s website says.
‘We believe that growth and success come from the nourishment of these core values, and we give a piece of that to each and every one of our customers.’